La Porte hosts WWI exhibit

By ANNA GALLEGOS, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Published 6:00 pm, Saturday, December 3, 2011

Photo: Karen Warren

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KAREN WARREN PHOTOS : CHRONICLE
PAST IN PHOTOS: Scouts from Pack 452 in Friendswood examine the displays in the "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, whose stop at the San Jacinto Museum was sponsored by the Waddell & Reed Houston investment firm. less

KAREN WARREN PHOTOS : CHRONICLE
PAST IN PHOTOS: Scouts from Pack 452 in Friendswood examine the displays in the "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, whose stop at the San Jacinto Museum was ... more

Photo: Karen Warren

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MOBILE MUSEUM: The exhibit, mounted on an 18-wheeler, includes dozens of artifacts from World War I. La Porte was chosen for a stop because of the Battleship Texas berth.

MOBILE MUSEUM: The exhibit, mounted on an 18-wheeler, includes dozens of artifacts from World War I. La Porte was chosen for a stop because of the Battleship Texas berth.

Photo: Karen Warren

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The Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the National World War I Museum, a custom 18-wheel "big rig" truck has been transformed into a traveling World War I exhibition.The Houston area is the 24th stop on the 75-city tour. This unique traveling exhibition offers a free, interactive and educational experience designed by the National World War I Museum - the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the artifacts, history and personal experiences of World War I. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

The Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the National World War I Museum, a custom 18-wheel ... more

Photo: Karen Warren

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Artifacts on display in the "foxhole" at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the National World War I Museum, a custom 18-wheel "big rig" truck has been transformed into a traveling World War I exhibition.The Houston area is the 24th stop on the 75-city tour. This unique traveling exhibition offers a free, interactive and educational experience designed by the National World War I Museum - the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the artifacts, history and personal experiences of World War I. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

Artifacts on display in the "foxhole" at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the ... more

Photo: Karen Warren

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Mary Peldo, of Houston walks through the "foxhole" at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the National World War I Museum, a custom 18-wheel "big rig" truck has been transformed into a traveling World War I exhibition.The Houston area is the 24th stop on the 75-city tour. This unique traveling exhibition offers a free, interactive and educational experience designed by the National World War I Museum - the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the artifacts, history and personal experiences of World War I. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

Mary Peldo, of Houston walks through the "foxhole" at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds ... more

Photo: Karen Warren

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A WWII soldiers uniform on display in the "foxhole" at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the National World War I Museum, a custom 18-wheel "big rig" truck has been transformed into a traveling World War I exhibition.The Houston area is the 24th stop on the 75-city tour. This unique traveling exhibition offers a free, interactive and educational experience designed by the National World War I Museum - the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the artifacts, history and personal experiences of World War I. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

A WWII soldiers uniform on display in the "foxhole" at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. In partnership with Ivy Funds ... more

Photo: Karen Warren

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Jim Frantz holds up a belt that his father, Eby Frantz, brought back from WWII at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. Frantz wanted to see if they could help him identify other buttons on the belt from that era. In partnership with Ivy Funds and the National World War I Museum, a custom 18-wheel "big rig" truck has been transformed into a traveling World War I exhibition.The Houston area is the 24th stop on the 75-city tour. This unique traveling exhibition offers a free, interactive and educational experience designed by the National World War I Museum - the first and only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the artifacts, history and personal experiences of World War I. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) less

Jim Frantz holds up a belt that his father, Eby Frantz, brought back from WWII at the Waddell & Reed's "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition, at the San Jacinto Monument, Dec. 3, 2011. ... more

Photo: Karen Warren

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La Porte hosts WWI exhibit

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Visitors to the San Jacinto Museum of History spent Saturday remembering veterans of both world wars by hosting a rare World War I exhibit and a commemorative ceremony of the upcoming 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

The Houston area is among 75 cities that the "Honoring Our History" Traveling World War I Exhibition will spend time at in honor of the upcoming WWI centennial in 2014.

"We wanted to bring the museum to the people because, especially in these economic times, people have trouble traveling to take in all the different museums across the country. We're taking the museum to the people," said Bevin Hartnett, managing principal of Waddell & Reed Houston, an investment firm sponsoring the exhibit.

The 18-wheeler that rolled through the La Porte area was loaded with 66 artifacts from WWI.

Complete with doughboy uniforms and a machine gun, it highlighted a war too often overlooked in modern times.

"Besides the history books, you don't really get a chance to learn a lot about World War I," Hartnett said.

Replica trench

In addition to examining artifacts from the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo., visitors could walk through a replica trench.

"We hear about what trench warfare in our textbooks but we don't know what it really meant. It's the battle environment for what troops would have gone through," Hartnett said. "When you hear that expression 100 years later, it loses its meaning, but you can really have a sense of what it must have been like for these soldiers to live, sleep, fight and die in the trenches next to each other."

The exhibit featured the flight suit and gear of the late Chauncy Waddell, a co-founder of the sponsoring firm, who fought in the war.

The La Porte museum was chosen because it's home to the USS Texas, which served in both wars.

"We saw a really common connection to one of the history elements of our park and that is the Battleship Texas. It was just a natural fit," said Larry Spasic, president of the San Jacinto Museum.

The warship saw action in both wars and held a Pearl Harbor commemorative ceremony as part of the exhibit.

"Everyone knows about (the San Jacinto Memorial), but not a lot of folks make it out this way. It's a great double destination," said Hartnett.

Salute to veterans

Organizers hoped to inspire remembrances of all American veterans.

"I thought it was very appropriate that they should start here. There are so many Texans who have served … ," said Spasic. "We knew their goal was to honor veterans and that's a part of our mission as well."